Backup

My computer crashed today,
everything I had written
for the last 4 months was lost,
no cd or floppy,
no backup,
it was simply gone;

forever.

It’s not like I can recreate it,
this stuff doesn’t work like that,
it comes and it goes,
and when it’s gone
it is gone,
never to return.

I felt like I had lost a child,
something precious and dear,
but even when you lose a child,
eventually you have to move on,
life is like that,
here today,
gone tomorrow;

like a crashed computer;

moments piled upon moments,
some good,
some bad,
some precious,
some unremarkable,
coming and going
with the blink of an eye,
yet every moment sacred,
every moment uniquely yours;

never to return again.

I prayed to the Lord,
He gave me peace,
He made me remember
what is truly important,
that it’s not the words I write,
not the respect or glory
they might earn,
not the admiration of others,
not about feeding
my vanity and ego,
He is what is truly important,
He is my King and Lord,
serving Him is where
my true joy lies,
glorifying His name
is all that matters.

There will be more words,
there will be other moments
piled upon moments,
like sheets of ice
during a Lake Michigan
winter storm,
forming vast mounds
of forgotten dreams,
full of dramatic melodramas,
they will fade
like the setting evening sun,
but the Lord shall be forever,
His kingdom will shine
for all eternity;

He is my backup,
He is my guarantee.
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Rejoice

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7

The cold black night
quietly closes in,
the pain
steadily intensifies,
blinding and overwhelming,
becoming more than I think
my spirit can possibly bear,
hope slowly fades,
rage fills my mind and heart,
bitterness and anger grow,
until it feels as though
I am about to burst;

the enemy silently waits,
ready for the final kill.

Then You reach out
across the long lonely miles,
using unsuspecting
and unexpected messengers,
gently reminding me
that You are near,
softly speaking words
of encouragement,
renewing my faltering spirit,
providing new found courage,
making it possible
to rise once again.

The pain begins to dissolve,
the darkness turns to light,
hope comes flooding in
like a mighty river,
Your blessed peace surrounds me
like a well worn blanket,
the enemy retreats
back into the blackness
from which he came.

Once more
You have delivered me
from unseen traps and snares,
once more
You have brought hope
where there was none
to be found,
once more
You have saved me
through Your never ending
mercy and grace;

I will rejoice in You,
I will declare Your wondrous love,
I will praise Your holy name,
forever.
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Forever

When you are troubled,
turn to Him,
and He will be there,
when you are despaired,
call out His name,
and He will hear;

this world,
this life,
this time,
this moment,
all pass away;

but His love
is forever.

He will never forsake us,
never leave us,
this is His word,
this is His holy promise,
to all who believe,
to all who trust,
on His wonderful
and precious name.
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Every Tear (Revelations 7:17)

Imagine if you can,
a world where everything
is as it should be,
as it was meant to be;

no darkness,
no evil,
no fear,
no doubt,
no suffering or pain,
no greed or lust,
no jealousy or envy,
no sadness or anger;

only love.

It’s easy to speak about,
much harder to truly see,
in a world ruled by flesh and lust,
where everything is about
satisfying fleshly desires,
where self-indulgence
and carnal pleasure dominate,
with fear controlling
every thought and action,
trying to imagine such a world
is almost beyond
normal human comprehension;

but try anyway.

This is the world which was
in the beginning,
the world which shall be restored,
the kingdom that is too come,
where the One who lived
the only perfect life,
will sit on His throne
and rule with justice,
protecting all who believe in
and belong to Him.

Where hunger and thirst
will no longer exist,
where the sun shall not beat
nor heat scorch,
where the Lamb shall
be their shepherd,
leading them to springs
of living water;

where every tear
shall be wiped away
forever.
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He is There

The time draws near,
the journey almost at an end,
home is just beyond the distant horizon,
lying only a heartbeat away;

and I am ready.

He is there waiting,
ready to make all things new,
removing the darkness,
wiping away every tear.

The pain will pass,
the doubt removed,
suffering will be no more,
night turned into day;

the joy shall be forever.

And He is there waiting,
ready to make all things new,
removing the darkness,
wiping away every tear.

The words fade away,
time passes
like a dream in the night,
prison walls crumble
into the dust,
all things will be as intended;

all things will be made right.

He is there waiting,
ready to make all things new,
removing the darkness,
wiping away every tear.
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Just Believe

Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Mark 5:36

In the middle of the night
I awake,
gripped with fear,
overcome by the immensity,
afraid of the unknown road ahead,
thinking of all the possible dangers,
unable to control even the smallest detail,
completely inadequate and out of control,
heading on a collision course with disaster.

Then I remember the places
from where I have come,
all the doors that have been opened,
all the chains which have been removed,
the love and grace that has
brought me to this place,
and I hear His soft, cool voice,
gently whispering in the nighttime darkness:

“Don’t be afraid, just believe.”

The fear fades away,
the doubt dissolves into nothing,
the darkness turns to light,
there is only love,
there is only Him;

and that is all that matters.

In the deepest depths,
on the highest heights,
He is there
guiding my path,
showing the way,
the Friend who stands by my side
closer than a brother,
the King who laid down His life
that I might live;

the One who I will love
forever.
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Do Not Fear

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

Alone in the shadows,
lost with no way home,
afraid and unsure;
do not worry,
do not fear;

God is near.

In the darkness,
in the light,
within the sorrow,
within the joy,
through the suffering,
through the pain,
through times
both good and bad,
do not worry,
do not fear;

God is near.

All things pass,
everything fades away,
but His mercy endures forever,
His love knows no bounds,
so rest your tired head
my troubled and worried child,
do not worry,
do not fear;

God is near.
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